The Dirty Seven
by Spotsylvania
Summary: After the devastating betrayals of Arl Howe and Teyrn Loghain, Isildor Cousland assembles an unusual group of Grey Wardens to unify Ferelden and strike back at the darkspawn and the traitorous Howe and Loghain. The only problem is whether this group can get along and save the land... Note: There is technology in the form of basic rifles and an occasional primitive radio.
1. Chapter 1

The Dirty Seven

Bryce Cousland was having a special dinner for an old family friend, Arl Howe, at the family's castle estate in Highever. His son, Isildor, was an adult in his early-mid 20s, and he hated Howe with a passion. He was always making crude jokes at the Arl's expense, and otherwise ignoring him when he spoke.

Despite his son's rudeness towards Howe, Bryce had reason to be proud of him. Isildor was well-educated and a master of military affairs. He had managed to increase the size of Highever's army to several thousand soldiers through recruitment efforts, which made it a formidable force. The soldiers were well-trained and supplied, and they defended Highever in several garrisons spread across the Cousland territory. They were equipped with the latest weapons and technology, including the relatively new inventions of firearms and radio.

King Cailin Theirin had recently called on Highever's forces to join him at Ostagar to help fight the darkspawn who had re-emerged in the Fifth Blight under ther leadership of the Arch Demon. It was in those circumstances that Isildor found himself visited by Howe and the Grey Warden known as Duncan.

The younger Cousland was busy reading a book when his father came up to him with Duncan and Arl Howe.

He stood up as his father introduced the Grey Warden, "Isildor, this is Duncan, senior Grey Warden of Ferelden. He is helping to lead the effort against the darkspawn and is actively recruiting."

"And I must say that your son would make a fine candidate, given his military prowess," Duncan shook hands with Isildor.

"Easy Duncan, my son has enough responsibilities here in Highever," Teyrn Cousland laughed. "Such as finding someone to settle down with. Someone like my daughter…" Arl Howe hinted. "You know, father, I smell a rat in the room. I wonder who it could be," Isildor retorted.

For just a brief second, the smirk on Howe's face disappeared and a flash of anger erupted in his eyes.

"Perhaps it is better if Rendon and I talk in private…" Bryce discreetly escorted Howe out of the area.

Duncan remained behind as Isildor sat down in his chair again.

"Going behind my father's back to recruit me, Duncan?" he grinned.

The Grey Warden smiled, "Our order has a long and prestigious history, and we are calling upon recruits to help us against the Blight. As I said before, I think you would serve us well, although your father is set against it."

"That's my decision and not his. There would be a certain condition that would have to be met if I were to join the Grey Wardens…"

"Oh, and what is that?"

"I command Highever's army, and I would want to remain at that post if I became a Grey Warden," Isildor laid out his terms.

"Being a Grey Warden is not contingent on conditions, and I could conscript you…" Duncan was not pleased.

"If you think you can force me into your order, you are sadly mistaken. Others may bow to your conscription, but I will not. My first duty is to Highever. My family and my soldiers are here, and I will not abandon them," the commander of Highever's army shot back.

The Grey Warden was shocked to hear such resistance, but he secretly admired the young man's resolve, "You are headstrong, that is for sure. Perhaps we can talk more of this later…"

Isildor nodded, "Yes, I think that would be good."

The absence of Howe's forces at Highever to make the trip to Ostagar deeply worried Isildor Cousland. He had secretly disobeyed his father's order to send the army with his older brother, Fergus, to Ostagar. Instead, he ordered his forces to travel from their garrisons and unite at Castle Cousland. It would take them some time to get there, and he was careful to monitor their progress.

Meanwhile, his mother, Eleanor, had asked him to do a few things. Once he had finished, he decided to confide in her.

"What's troubling you, my son?" she could see the concern etched in his face.

He paused, unsure of how to answer, "I don't trust Howe at all. I'm afraid he might try something tonight."

"I know you don't like him, but he has been a friend to us for many years. Try to give him the benefit of the doubt," she tried to reassure him.

"I'm telling you, mother, he's up to something. I know it…" Isildor reiterated.

"Well, we'll stay alert, okay?" Eleanor promised him.

Her son reluctantly nodded, seeing that he couldn't persuade her of his suspicions.

Later in the night, the Couslands sat down to eat with Arl Howe and Duncan in the dining hall. The Grey Warden could tell that Isildor was keeping watch on Howe, and made a note of it. There was some conversation, but it only involved Howe, Bryce, Eleanor, and to a lesser extent, Duncan.

The teyrn's son patiently ate his food until Howe interrupted him, "So, are you looking forward to joining the great campaign against the darkspawn? I know your army has marched with Fergus to Ostagar."

Isildor managed a fake smile, "Yes, they have, and I will have the pleasure of joining them when I leave tomorrow. I'm sure that our alliance will serve us both well, Rendon." He could barely keep from laughing at Howe's ignorance that Highever's army was rapidly marching towards Castle Cousland.

"As do I. May this be the start of a new era of friendship between the Howes and the Couslands," the arl raised his glass.

Bryce raised his as well, "I couldn't agree more."

Eleanor and her son did so as well.

An hour or two later, Isildor went to bed with his armor and weapons nearby.

He was awoken in the very early morning by a loud banging on his door. The teyrn's son quickly put on his black armor, attached his sheathed sword to it, and grabbed his rifle standing against the wall.

The door was broken down by two of Arl Howe's soldiers, who lunged at him.

Isildor dropped both of them with a burst from his weapon and ran through the doorway cursing, "That damned bastard! You're gonna pay for this Howe!"

After felling several more of Howe's soldiers, he saw his mother looking around a corner.

"Come Isildor, we have to get to your father and find a way to escape before Howe's men overrun the castle!" Eleanor yelled to him.

Her son nodded, "Highever's forces are on the way here. Hopefully they'll make it in time…"

"I hope so… You were right to disobey your father this time," his mother agreed.

The two went into battle side-by-side, trying to salvage their lives.

Arl Howe sat outside the castle on his horse, smugly observing Castle Cousland falling to his forces.

One of his subordinates came up to him, "Sir, what should we do if we find the Couslands themselves?"

"Dispose of them. You know what that means," he cruelly ordered.

He looked around at the landscape, "It's a fine day for adding a new land to my estates… Wait, what's that in the distance?"

The Arl took a look at an emerging scene before him in the distance, "No, this can't be!" Highever's army had arrived at last…

Eleanor and Isildor finally found Bryce after fighting their way through part of the castle to the kitchen.

He was seriously wounded as he saw his son and wife, "Thank Andraste both of you are alive… Both of you get out of here through the secret entrance in the pantry. I'm too weak to go with you…"

"No, you can come with us," Eleanor urged him with tears in her eyes.

"She's right, father. We can make it out together," Isildor added.

"You know that's not true," the teyrn shook his head.

"I can help your wife and son escape," Duncan entered the room, "But only if you agree to let him join the Grey Wardens…"

"No, I won't let you die here!" Isildor pleaded with his father.

Bryce once again shook his head, "My son, stubborn just like me… You and your mother need to save yourselves. Duncan, I agree to your deal. Just get them out alive…"

The eight thousand strong army of Highever immediately engaged Howe's forces, catching them in the rear as they were pillaging the castle. At this point, they were just trying to break through and rescue as many of the Couslands and their servants as possible. The Arl's soldiers held off the brunt of the assault, but several small breakthroughs still occurred. The Teyrn's loyal soldiers could only hope they weren't too late.

Isildor was desperate to save his parents, but Eleanor refused to leave her husband's side.

"We have to go now…" Duncan put his hand on Isildor's shoulder.

"No, no, no… This can't be happening! Mother, father…" he was hesitant to leave as the Grey Warden started to pull him away.

Both of them were thrown to the ground by the force from an explosive blast that pierced the wall of the pantry.

Isildor recovered his senses to see that his soldiers had come to their rescue, "Thank Andraste…" The troops quickly assembled around the four and helped evacuate all of them from the pantry to the open ground outside the castle.

The fighting gradually died down as the teyrn's forces reached a stalemate with Howe. The castle had been taken over and severely damaged, and assaulting such a daunting position in the face of Howe's army would only result in fruitless bloodshed.

It was in the early afternoon that the army finally set up camp a few miles outside of the castle. Healers had been working frantically on the Teyrn, with Eleanor and Isildor close by with Duncan. The chief elven healer came up to them.

"Will-will he live?" Isildor asked fatefully.

"His wound was very bad, but he will pull through. Just barely though…" the healer informed them.

Eleanor almost collapsed from the swell of relief that came over her, "Bless the Maker…" Duncan nodded, "That is good news. Can we see him?"

"Yes, he is able to talk, but keep it short. He is in for a very long recovery," the elf told them.

Duncan, Isildor, and Eleanor went to see Bryce in his medical bed. The teyrn managed a smile as he looked at his son, "That was a brilliant piece of soldiering you did. I owe you my life. All of your distrust for Howe was warranted…"

"I'm just glad you and mother are alive. Don't worry, we'll retake our home," Isildor promised him.

"I appreciate the need to take back what's yours, but assaulting the castle now would not be wise. It would be better to gain the support of King Cailin for your cause, and once the darkspawn are defeated, you will have the resources to defeat Howe," Duncan interjected.

"He's right. The Blight is the more pressing concern right now, and the support of the king will make beating Howe much easier. You should go with Duncan. Join the Grey Wardens, and bring honor to our family name," Bryce urged Isildor.

His son was still uncertain, "But what about you and mother? I can't just leave you here…" "Your father and I will be fine. We'll stay here with the healers and some soldiers, and then we'll travel to Denerim and meet you once your father's well enough to travel," Eleanor supported Bryce.

"Yes, take the army with you and meet up with the king at Ostagar. Please, do this for me, if for no one else," the teyrn took Isildor's hand.

He sighed and took a deep breath, "Alright, but I will keep in contact with you."

"I don't think having a Grey Warden in command of an army is practical. It will distract you from the concentratuin you need to help end the Blight as a Warden," Duncan calmly objected. "Duncan, I agreed to let you take my son. Please honor his wish and mine to lead Highever's forces. The soldiers need their commander," Teyrn Cousland said somewhat sternly.

The Grey Warden slowly nodded, realizing he would have to give a little to get what he wanted.

After a tearful goodbye with his parents, Isildor assembled most of the 8,000 soldiers for the march to Ostagar. He left a small contingent behind to watch over his mother and father, but used some tricks he knew to make it look like the army was still there in force. The next morning, Isildor lead his army on horseback with Duncan riding beside him, with their next destination as Ostagar.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the second chapter! I hope you guys like it. If so, please review. I'm anxious for your thoughts **

The two were riding hard for Ostagar when Duncan noticed something, "This is not the quickest route there. Are you going somewhere else first?"

Isildor nodded, "Yes, I am going to see a friend who will aid us in the battle to come. It will not be a long visit."

"And just where is this friend located?"

"You'll find out when we get there," the commander replied as Duncan rolled his eyes.

After a couple of days on the march, the army arrived outside a sizable town.

"Ah, Lothering… I haven't been here in ages," Isildor smiled as he dismounted his horse. Duncan had a sour look on his face, but he was curious as to who the friend was, "Where will we find this friend of yours?"

The teyrn's son walked into town and didn't stop until he was at a tavern known as Dane's refuge, "In here."

He went in, followed by Duncan. Isildor ordered a water, as he did not drink, but he also asked the barkeep for an Orlesian red ale, "Send it to patron at the other end of the bar, with my compliments."

"I hardly think now is the time to be doing something like this. The King is waiting for us at Ostagar," Duncan gave him a disapproving look.

The general of Highever's forces shook his head, "With all due respect, Duncan, I don't really give a shit what you think. I have my own way of doing things, and the sooner you understand that and accept it, the better."

"Trust me, he certainly does. I've known him for years," the patron who had received Isildor's drink was standing in front of them.

She had long red hair and was dressed in the attire of a bard, with a simple tunic, a belt for her weapons, pants, and a set of chainmail boots.

"Leliana! It's been a long time…" Isildor sat up and looked at the bard with a smile.

"Too long, you know a few months is too much to go without directly talking to me," she kidded him as the two friends embraced.

"Leliana, this is the Grey Warden Duncan. He is accompanying me on my army's march to Ostagar," he introduced the bard to his traveling companion.

"A pleasure, young lady," Duncan shook her hand.

"I hear that King Cailan is not taking the horde seriously. Is that true?" she asked him.

"It's not my place to comment on the King, but he does need to make some better observations," the Grey Warden remarked.

"I can tell you that the darkspawn number about 70,000, while the combined forces of Ferelden opposing them when you get there will be about 80,000. Teyrn Loghain and the King are planning a two-pronged attack with Loghain assaulting from the rear," Leliana informed Isildor. The general smiled, "You are very good at your job. I trust you will tell me of other bits of information you found when we are in more private circumstances?"

"Very much so. After all, it's what you pay me for, and very well I might add," she nudged him with her elbow.

Duncan was shocked, "Do you mean to say that you are his spy?!"

"Shhh! Not so loud," Isildor silenced him, "Yes, she is my personal spy, and a damn good one at that. How else do you think I suspected Arl Howe of treachery?"

The Grey Warden was at a loss for words as Leliana stood at her boss' side, "So when are we going to Ostagar?"

"Right now, if you're up for it," he answered her.

Duncan found his voice again, "It does make sense to have one as skilled as her in intelligence at the fortress. We really do have to get moving…"

It was Isildor's turn to be surprised. He had thought Duncan would fight him tooth and nail on this. Instead, he just shrugged, "Let's go then. After you, my lady."

Leliana chuckled as she and the two men filed out of the bar and made their way back to the army encampment for the rest of the march to Ostagar.


	3. Chapter 3

Late in the night, Highever's army marched into the fortress of Ostagar. While they made camp, Isildor, Leliana, and Duncan went to see King Cailan.

The Grey Warden introduced them to the King, but he left out the part about Leliana being a spy. "I am sorry about what happened with Arl Howe. You can be assured that he will pay once we put the darkspawn in their place," Cailan promised.

"I appreciate that, your majesty. I must request that I maintain autonomy over my troops. Unlike the darkspawn and the rest of your army, they are equipped with repeating rifles. I think it is best that a commander who knows their tactics using these weapons remain in charge," Isildor asked Cailan.

Duncan was indignant at this seeming insult to the King's authority, but Cailan obliged, "I agree with you, and I can't wait to see what kind of damage these rifles can do…"

"Thank you for you time, your majesty. We really should be getting on with the preparations," Duncan told him.

"Of course, and may we all rejoice in a glorious victory over the horde!"

The general rolled his eyes as the three of them walked away, "He has no idea what he's in for, does he?"

Duncan sighed, "I'm afraid not. He does not understand the danger the Blight can and will cause. I fear his underestimating them could prove dangerous to us all."

Isildor changed the subject slightly, "When will the training for becoming a Grey Warden begin? I am anxious to get started."

"We will start tomorrow morning, and we must proceed quickly. It will not be long before the battle starts," the Grey Warden told him.

"I look forward to it. We're back at the camp now. Good night, Duncan, and thank you for everything. I know I am not the easiest person to deal with. See you on the morrow…" he told him.

Duncan smiled and walked in the direction of his own tent, leaving Leliana and Isildor to their own sizeable tent.

Once the two were settled in and lying across from each other on cots, Isildor spoke, "I asked you to do some special intelligence-gathering. Did you find out anything?"

Leliana shook her head, "Not much. The darkspawn ranks are closed to spies, but I was able to find out that the Arch Demon is actually an old god by the name of Urthumiel. It seems that he or she was forcibly transformed into the present form of the Arch Demon, and is completely under control of the taint."

"You are indeed very good at your job," he smiled.

"I could find out more if I became a Grey Warden. Having the insight into the taint that they have…" the bard suggested.

"Hmm… An interesting idea. I'll run it by Duncan in the morning," the commander agreed.

Early the next morning, Isildor and Leliana were woken up by Duncan. "It's time to start the ritual that will lead to your becoming a Grey Warden. Leliana, you can come along and observe if you wish," the Grey Warden said.

"Actually, I'd like to join your order. I hope that is acceptable," the bard asked.

Duncan was pleasantly surprised as he looked from her to Isildor and back, "We can use all the recruits we can get. I thank you for this decision, Leliana. I should warn both of you… Being a Grey Warden comes with a price."

"What kind of price?" Isildor inquired.

"It is not my place to say at the moment. You will find out during the Joining," Duncan responded.

The teyrn's son looked at Leliana, who just shrugged.

The two of them got dressed, ate breakfast, and followed the Grey Warden leader to a circle surrounded by stone structures. There were three other men already there as the entire group formed. Duncan introduced Leliana and Isildor to Daveth and Ser Jory, two new recruits, and Alistair, an actual Grey Warden.

"Ooh, an actual woman in the ranks!" Daveth had a smile on his face.

Leliana pointed to the pistol on her belt, "Don't try anything, my friend. It would not be a wise move on your part."

Isildor laughed as Daveth's smirk came off very quickly.

"I heard what happened at Highever. You have my sincerest sympathies…" Alistair offered a hand to the teyrn's son.

Isildor shook it, "What matters is that my father and mother are alive, and that I have an army at my command. I thank you for the concern, and rest assured Howe will pay dearly in due time." "Now that introductions have been made, we must get to the tasks at hand. The battle at Ostagar is not far off, so we must make haste. All of you are very qualified candidates, but we need two things before the Joining can take place. Some vials of darkspawn blood, and treaties made to the Grey Wardens that promise us aid should the fighting with the darkspawn worsen…" Duncan informed everyone.

"And where would we go and get these things?" Ser Jory asked.

"In the Korcari Wilds. You must go alone to prove yourselves. It will be dangerous, but I have faith in all of you. Alistair will accompany you as a guide," the senior Grey Warden said.

"I've heard nasty things about the Wilds. Witches, werewolves, not to mention the whole damn place is crawling with darkspawn," Jory looked nervous.

"Never mind that. What of my army?" Isildor demanded. "Your forces must remain where they are. The King will make sure they are in good stead," Duncan answered.

"Fine, but if I hear one negative thing that happened while I'm gone…" the younger Cousland gritted his teeth.

"Relax, they'll be okay without you for a little bit. Besides, we could use some action," Leliana was ready to go.

"Alistair, if you will take the recruits?" Duncan pointed to him.

"Yes, Duncan. I will do so. Alright, everyone. Follow me!" Alistair led the group to the outskirts of the Wilds.

Leliana had a dazzling longsword sheathed on her belt in addition to the pistol she possessed. Since being a spy was her profession, she was used to wearing practical clothes, but she knew this situation called for armor. She felt awkward in the whitish-silver suit of armor she wore, but it was safer at least.

Isildor carried his rifle and a light broadsword in addition to the prized rare black armor he wore.

Alistair was equipped with a full sword and shield, and the specialized plated Grey Warden armor he wore.

They walked deeper into the forest as Ser Jory got more nervous, "You don't think the Joining will kill us, do you? What kind of effect does the taint have?"

Isildor turned around, "Will you shut up! I almost lost everything because of Arl Howe, and here you are bitching about mere possibilities. If anyone has the right to complain, it's me! You don't see me doing that…"

Jory was silent as the teyrn's son turned around and continued walking.

"You're not exactly one for using soft words," Alistair commented to him.

"Well, I have a lot on my hands with an army to command and the Grey Wardens. I'm not really in much of a mood to put up with bullshit," Isildor replied.

Leliana smirked, "If you think that's bad Alistair, you should hear him during army drills."

"I think I'll pass," the junior Grey Warden laughed softly.

They had gone through the Wilds a considerable distance, and surprisingly had encountered no enemies yet. Isildor was becoming very uneasy with the quiet as the group rounded a bend near a small river.

All of a sudden, Alistair stumbled. "Nice going, clumsy. How is that you're a Grey Warden again?" Leliana ribbed him.

He looked back at her sheepishly, "There was something on the ground. It didn't feel like a rock, though. He knelt down to take a look, "Oh Maker…"

Daveth saw what Alistair was looking at, "Is that-is that a skull?"

"Looks like it's been burned. And judging by the smell, not too long ago," the Orlesian examined.

Isildor wrinkled his nose, "I think there are more bodies nearby…" He inspected the nearby brush and came upon several bodies piled together, some of them partially burnt. He erupted in a violent fit of gagging as the smell was overpowering. Backing away a little bit, he saw the others join him.

"Darkspawn did this, not the predators of the Wilds…" Alistair looked on grimly.

"Wait a minute, I recognize that insignia. That's something all the soldiers of Highever wear, including myself," Isildor showed the symbol of a winged lion with two swords crossing over it etched into his armor."

Leliana gasped, "Oh god, you don't think it could be…"

Before she could finish her question, he was trying to move the bodies on top off of the corpse with the insignia. With some help from Alistair and Daveth, they were able to do so.

"No, no, no, please don't let it be…" Isildor saw the recognizable face of his brother, "God no! Fergus…"

Leliana was shocked with disbelief as she saw her friend hold his dead brother in his arms. "Why, why couldn't you just listen to me and stay in the encampment at Ostagar. You just had to seek out adventure…" he sobbed uncontrollably.

The bard put a hand on his shoulder as he was drowning in grief, "He was so good to me…" Isildor shut his eyes, "He didn't sign up for this. I was supposed to be the fighter, the one who would lead the fight against the darkspawn. It should have been me lying here…"

"Don't say that! It's not your fault he died…" she tried to console him.

He placed Fergus' body on the ground and turned back to her with a deathly glare, "I will find the darkspawn savages who did this to him and those men, and they will know the true meaning of torture…"

Leliana nodded, "And I will help you do that. All the way…" She hugged him as the tears continued to flow down his face.

After radioing some of his men to recover his brother and the other bodies for a proper burial, it was with great mental anguish that Isildor continued with the group. Eventually, they heard a rustling nearby.

"Darkspawn…" Alistair whispered.

They got their weapons ready as a group of a dozen darkspawn attacked. With gunfire from Isildor and Leliana, it was a quick fight as all twelve of their enemies were killed.

The general saw a medallion on one of the bodies, "I gave this to my brother on his 21st birthday…"

The anger overtook him as he let out a savage yell and bayoneted the darkspawn's carcass again and again. He finally stopped after what seemed like an eternity, covered with darkspawn blood. "I think we just found the darkspawn blood we needed," Alistair joked uncomfortably in an attempt to lighten the mood.

He and Daveth collected the blood in a few vials before putting them away in a knapsack. With that objective complete, the group trudged on to some anciet Tevinter ruins where the treaties were supposed to be.

Isildor found the chest that was to contain them empty, "What the hell is going on here? As if I don't have enough on my mind with Fergus…"

He was startled to hear a voice interrupt him, "Well, well, what have we here? Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones have been long since cleaned? Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn filled wilds of mine in search of… easy prey?" Isildor looked up to see a beautiful woman wearing a skimpy purple covering with a bra visible underneath, along with black trousers tucked into boots.

She had her black hair in a bun, "Well, what are you?"

"I'm just a man who's had a really bad day. How about you?" he replied.

"I have known many bad days. This is not one of them, but it is an interesting one. I ask again, what are you?" she asked again.

"I am a scavenger, looking for Grey Warden treaties that used to be here. Do you happen to know where they are?" he answered with a question of his own.

"Ooh, a scavenger! How fun!" the woman replied with an almost child-like zeal.

"Be careful around her. I've heard tales of witches in these Wilds," Ser Jory cautioned.

"A witch am I? What leads you to make such assumptions?" she shot back.

"I must ask again, miss. Do you know where the treaties are?" Isildor asked.

"She probably stole them. She's a sneaky witch thief!" Alistair said with suspicion.

"I didn't steal them, for it was not I removed them. My mother has safeguarded them," she said indignantly.

"And may I ask who you are? My name is Isildor," the teyrn's son politely greeted her. "Now that's a gentlemanly greeting. Very well, I am Morrigan, and my mother's name is Flemeth," the woman said in reply.

"Flemeth… I've heard that name before," Isildor mused.

"As have many. Shall I take you to her?"

He saw Alistair about to make another crude remark, "Don't make me hit you with my rifle butt." The Grey Warden shut his mouth in consternation as the group followed Morrigan.

"Well, well, I see that the Grey Wardens have come for their treaties. I knew it was only a matter of time," Flemeth greeted Isildor's party as they came upon her hut.

"They might come in handy considering the Blight that's happening now. I appreciate you keeping them under your protection," Isildor thanked the powerful witch.

"This one has manners, I see. You could learn a thing or two from him, Morrigan," the elder witch pointed out.

"If you're done pointing out my character flaws, tis time for the Wardens to have their treaties back," Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"Very well. They are in my home. Just give me a moment," the witch went inside and got the treaties, handing them to Isildor.

"Be careful, young one. This Blight is far worse than the previous ones…" Flemeth warned.

He nodded, knowing not to ask her any questions, "I will. Thank you for giving these back. We must go now…"

"Morrigan, will you show them the way back?" her mother asked.

"Yes, I will take you as far as the edge of the Wilds," Morrigan agreed.

Isildor was walking with Morrigan at the front of the group. He secretly liked the woman, whose sarcastic wit and intolerace for bullshit matched his own personality.

"You could come to Ostagar with us. Maybe get out of the Wilds and away from the influence of your mother. I can sense the tension between the two of you," he suggested.

"Why are you so interested in my personal life all of a sudden? Is it a natural curiosity, or something different? I wonder…" she gave her usual cryptic response.

"A little of both, my dear witch, and you still have not answered my proposal," the general slyly remarked.

Just a hint of a smile began to crease Morrigans lips, "An honest answer, I see. Very well, I will give you an answer. Life in the Wilds has been rather—difficult as of late, what with my mother's paranoia and steering clear of the few humans who come here. I would like to leave, but I would prefer not to be on the receiving end of templars enslaving me in the Circle of Magi…"

Isildor nodded, "I am not in favor of the way the Chantry treats mages such as yourself. Imprisoning people and forcing them to bend to their will is an oppressive thing. If you come with us, I will place you firmly in my graces. The templars will not be able to touch you with my army at my side."

"You have my interest… So you would risk your family's entire reputation among the nobility for a mere Witch of the Wilds?" she asked him, intrigued by his offer.

"I openly chastised Rendon Howe to anyone who would listen, and lied to my father about sending my army to Ostagar so our family would be prepared for anything that cursed Howe might try. Believe me, it's in my nature to take risks. Let the Chantry come and try to get you, for they will be met by eight thousand rifles pointed right at them," he smirked.

"And what exactly would you get in return for giving me your protection?" Morrigan considered the idea.

"Nothing, just the pleasure of your company," Isildor gave a mock bow.

"Resorting to jokes at my expense? How nice…" the witch feigned offense.

"So what will it be? Will you come or not?" he pressed her.

She thought for a moment, "It does seem intriguing, and I would enjoy seeing the looks the Chantry clerics and templars will have when an "apostate" such as myself walks openly among them. I will accept your offer, but you may come to regret extending it in the first place."

"I highly doubt that," he smiled as they continued walking back to Ostagar.

The group arrived back at the fortress with the treaties and blood, which Alistair presented to two Wardens told them to wait a bit as the Joining ritual was prepared. Morrigan got some very nasty stares from some templars and a few Chantry priests, but none dared to challenge her knowing that Isildor's army was nearby.

The two of them sat down with Leliana, who knew a little about the Joining, "I haven't been able to find out much, but I know it involves drinking the darkspawn blood. That does not sound good, but I do not know much else. Just that the life expectantcy of Grey Wardens is only thirty years after the Joining. The taint kills you eventually…"

Isildor was not pleased to hear this, "So if both of us take this, then we'll be living under a death sentence? How charming… It makes me have second thoughts…"

The Witch of the Wilds thought for a moment, "I may be able to help with that. My mother has taught me a number of spells that could possibly be used to render this taint you speak of inert, which means it wouldn't kill you. We would need her help of course, and the spellcaster would need to have the taint within them conjure the magic. Mind you, I am unsure that this will work, but tis better than nothing."

The bard immediately grasped Morrigan's meaning, "That means you would have to drink the blood as well and become a Grey Warden… You're willing to do this for us, but what's in it for you?"

The witch smiled, "That is for me alone to know…"

Isildor was on the receiving end of an uncertain stare from Leliana, as if she wanted him to decide what to do.

It didn't take long for the teyrn's son to make up his mind, "I'd rather take the risk and have control over my own fate than know I am going to die within a few decades."

The bard nodded as Morrigan was very happy, "Excellent, a very good choice, to be sure."

Just after she said that, Alistair came up to them. It was time for the Joining…


	4. Chapter 4

Morrigan, Isildor, and Leliana stood on one side while Jory and Daveth were on the other. Duncan and Alistair were in the middle with the vials positioned on a platform.

The senior Grey Warden took a vial, "We Wardens must pay a heavy price to fight the darkspawn. Drinking their blood allows us to sense their whereabouts and see images that can tell us what they might be planning, but it is much more than that. The taint will forever haunt your dreams, and it will kill you after so many years…"

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Morrigan whispered ever so slightly.

"Once you become a Grey Warden, you will forever forfeit any titles you may have claim to, and your life will be spent being ever vigilant of the threat the darkspawn pose. We are elite warriors, and our lives must reflect as such," Duncan continued.

He paused for a few moments before finishing his speech, "Daveth, step forward and drink." Daveth did so and slowly lifted up the vial and drank the blood. At first everything seemed fine, but then he began shaking uncontrollably and fell down. After a little bit, he stopped moving.

He was dead, and Isildor was shocked. The teyrn's son was already grieving over Fergus, but this made things even worse. Fear began to take a hold of him, but he put on a strong façade and kept it hidden.

"Ser Jory, please step forward," Duncan held the vial out to him.

"You didn't tell us it could be fatal. No, I've got a wife at home with a child on the way…" Jory panicked.

"There is no turning back. I will give you one more chance to drink…" the senior Grey Warden calmly said.

"I—I can't do it… I don't want to die!" a shaking Jory slowly took out his sword to defend himself.

Duncan unsheathed his own sword, "I'm sorry…"

Before he could make a move to kill the frightened knight, Duncan heard a soft click and felt something rest against the back of his head.

"I'm not about to let you murder that man. Put your sword back or I'll kill you where you stand," Isildor firmly demanded as he had his rifle against Duncan's head.

"This is not a wise course of action for you to take. Jory cannot be allowed to walk away," the Warden insisted.

"Then he'll run away. Jory, get out of here and rejoin Arl Eamon while you still have the chance," the general urged him.

The knight didn't need any further encouragement as he took off and safely got out of dodge. Isildor lowered his weapon and glared at Duncan as he turned around, "Is this what passes for Grey Warden behavior?! You're a coldhearted bastard!"

"I did what I needed to do, and you would do well to remember that," Duncan reproached him. "Screw you! If I'm going to be a Grey Warden, you won't be my commander. Leliana, Morrigan, I'm leaving if you want to come with me. And I'm taking these too!" an enraged Isildor went off on Duncan as he quickly grabbed the vials of darkspawn blood and stormed off.

Leliana quickly followed him, and Morrigan was not far behind. Her interest in him had risen now that she had seen this assertive side to him.

Duncan and Alistair were left in utter shock at the sudden turn of events.

"Maybe you should have thought out what you were doing a little more…" Alistair said in a very uncomfortable tone.

"You know that I did the right thing," Duncan stated. "I'm not so sure about that anymore…" a disillusioned Alistair replied.

Isildor, Leliana, and Morrigan returned to the commander's tent with all of the soldiers' tents around them.

"I think we should do our own Joining. We have the blood. Are you two sure you want to go through with this?" Isildor asked.

Both women nodded as he set the vials down and they sat in the tent.

"Seeing as how I'm the one who will be conducting the spells with the taint later on, I think I should go first," Morrigan suggested as she looked back and forth at Leliana and Isildor.

He handed her a vial, "You'll make it through this just fine…"

She drank the darkspawn blood and began to wretch for several moments. The witch collapsed onto Leliana's bedding, but was still conscious as she slowly regained her bearings.

"What was it like?" the bard asked quietly.

"It was most unpleasant. The Arch Demon split my eardrums with its screaming, and I saw terrible savagery by the darkspawn at some location. I'm not sure where it was. It could have been here or somewhere else," the new Grey Warden replied.

"My guess would be here, so we'll have to keep that in the back of our minds. I guess I'll go next," Isildor took a vial and gulped it down.

He soon found himself swamped by images of the Arch Demon and fellow darkspawn staring at him. The giant dragon gestured with its head towards Denerim, showing the capital city in flames. There were also farms and other cities burnt to the ground, with the destruction almost too savage to describe. All he could feel was searing pain throughout his entire body, then it stopped as quickly as it started.

"Are you alright?" Leliana looked over him concern, "You were shaking the entire time…"

"I saw something pretty similar to what Morrigan did. Just brutality and the country laid waste…" Isildor barely managed to sit up.

"It seems as if we all have something in common. If Leliana has the same type of vision, then we know something very bad is in the future," the witch sighed.

"Here's to hoping I make it through this…" Leliana held up her vial and drank it.

The two new Grey Wardens watched as the bard braced herself for the suffering she would go through, but strangely nothing happened. She just sat there for what seemed like a long time, but were really only a couple of minutes.

"So, did you have a vision at all?" her employer asked.

"Yes, it seemed like there was a civil war in Ferelden with the throne in play. That was all I could see…" she answered.

"I would say our visions are linked. Someone must betray us here, leading the darkspawn to victory and an all-out war for the throne. The question is who?" Morrigan surmised.

Isildor thought for a moment, "Perhaps the King? Or Loghain? Even Duncan?"

"I don't know, but we'll have to keep an ever watchful eye," Leliana summed up the mood.

-Isildor spent much of the afternoon readying his army for battle. When he was done, he was summoned to a meeting with Cailan and Teyrn Loghain. He took Morrigan and Leliana with him.

"The battle is very near now, and I want to go over the final plans," the King started things off. "What is the plan of attack anyway?" Isildor asked.

"We're going to attack the darkspawn in three waves. First the mabari, then the infantry. Once the enemy is distracted fighting us, you and your companions will light the beacon at the top of the tower of Ishal to signal Loghain's forces to attack the flank," Cailan explained.

"Wait a minute, why don't we just use one of my radios to notify Loghain?" the new Grey Warden was incredulous.

"Loghain and I feel that the radio is too unreliable, and Duncan has asked to command your army while you and your party light the beacon," the King interjected.

"No way! I am going to be a part of this battle and command my army in the field. We are positioned near the high ground the Tower is on, and it's a perfect place to rain down fire on the darkspawn. End of discussion," an annoyed Isildor nearly shouted at the King.

"If it pleases his Majesty, Morrigan and I can light the beacon if we have a detachment of troops," Alistair interrupted.

The witch was pissed. She felt disrespected to be sent on what she felt was an inferior mission as opposed to fighting with Isildor's army, "And why would I agree to such a thing?!"

"Because I'm a nice guy?" Alistair smiled.

Morrigan scowled as she looked to Isildor for help.

"If Morrigan wants to stay with me, she may do so," the general flatly stated.

The apostate was incredibly relieved at this and gave him a wry smile.

"I'll go with Alistair. Perhaps my skills could be of some use," Leliana volunteered.

"That will do. Our battle plans are set then. Loghain, shall we retire and make the final preparations?" Cailan turned to leave.

"Yes, I suppose so. Just remember Isildor, what I do in this battle is for you," Loghain remarked cryptically as he left with the King.

"What the hell does that mean?" Isildor pondered as he was left alone with the three other Wardens.

"I don't know, but he may possibly be the traitor... I hope not, but you must be vigilant and take care to extricate your forces should things go south. Alistair, I think we should get ready," Leliana beckoned to him.

Alistair turned to Isildor, "Good luck, my friend. May the Maker smile on us..."

With that, he and the bard went down to the camp to select a detachment of soldiers to infiltrate the Tower.

Morrigan and Isildor were alone again.

She smiled at him, "Thank you for backing me up. It was-kind of you. I haven't known such actions growing up in the Wilds..."

He leaned in close to her, "I was glad to do that, and I'm even happier to do this..."

He gently kissed her on the lips. At first she tried to pull away, but couldn't muster the strength to do it. The two Grey Wardens were locked in a deep kiss, and it felt right. After several moments their lips parted.

Morrigan shook her head, "We shouldn't have done that..."

"Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't want that to happen," Isildor put his hand on her chin. "I-I can't... It felt good, like it was something that was destined," the witch slowly admitted her feelings for him.

"Destined? You do feel strongly about this," the teyrn's son laughed.

She punched him in the chest, "Don't laugh! I'm spilling my guts to you right now. Damn you, Isildor Cousland..."

"And damn you, Morrigan, for attracting me with your sinful ways," he grinned.

It was her turn to laugh, "You do think highly of me. Tell me, what advice would you give a witch about to take part in a massive battle such as this one?"

"I would say you need to put some clothes on," Isildor suggested.

"I should slap the taste out of your mouth for saying that!" Morrigan pounded on his chest again with her fists.

"No-no, I meant you need to put armor on. It wouldn't be good if you went into with that outfit. You'd get flayed alive," he explained.

"Oh? And what kind of armor do you have for me?" she playfully asked.

"I'll show you," he led her down to his tent.

-"You may be insufferable at times, but you have good taste in armor," Morrigan admired herself in the jet black knight's armor with the Highever coat of arms emblazoned on the front.

"It doesn't hurt that the woman wearing the armor is incredibly beautiful as well," Isildor flattered her.

"More delightful comments. Oh goodie," the witch remarked sarcastically, "I don't suppose you would have a spare weapon for me..."

He tossed a rifle to her, "I'll show you how to work it. Along with your magic, it should prove to be a lethal combination."

Isildor spent the next hour or so showing Morrigan how to use the rifle.

It was close to dusk when Leliana and Alistair showed up with a squad of soldiers to inform them that they were heading out for the tower. With a radio in hand, they moved out on their mission.

Isildor turned his attention to finalizing his army's positions. The soldiers had constructed a three foot high stone wall and were lined up behind it in a kneeling position. Morrigan and the general stood behind the massive defensive line, knowing the battle would begin at any moment. Before long, they could see a line of arrows coming from the King's position and down on the darkspawn lines. The soldiers were tense as they were crouched behind the stone wall, rifles resting on the top. Isildor walked up and down the line, making sure everything was in order and reassuring a few nervous soldiers.

Once he had stopped and went back to his command post, Morrigan asked him something, "What do you think Loghain meant when he said everything he was going to do was for you?" Isildor sighed, "I honestly have no idea. I have to wonder if he's planning something..."

"I have that feeling too. Do you have a path of retreat should the unthinkable happen?" the witch agreed with him.

"Yes, I planned a withdrawal route north back to Lothering. There the army can resupply a bit and recruit if necessary," the teyrn's son replied.

They watched as the mabari and then the infantry charged the darkspawn. A brutal hand-to-hand fight ensued on the battlefield as they witnessed the carnage.

"Look! Over there, the darkspawn are advancing this way! It seems that we're opposite their right flank," she pointed to a huge wave of the creatures making a move towards the fortifications. Isildor shook his head, "A suicide attack if I ever saw one. Alright men, hold your fire until they come within fifty yards of the hill. Wait for my order!"

The soldiers anxiously waited until the enemy came close to the hill, and then poured a devastating fire downhill on the darkspawn. The first wave completely disappeared and the second staggered as they tried to get up the high ground. Isildor calmly walked back and forth with Morrigan, shouting encouragement, "Keep up the fire. Pour it into them!"

The darkspawn tried to fight back using archery, but only a few men were hit given the armor and narrow positions they were in. They had barely gotten halfway up the hill before they were wiped out.

Isildor was extremely pleased at the bloody repulse, but Morrigan not so much, "If they don't get any closer, then I won't be able to use my spells. It would be a shame really."

"I'm sure you'll get the chance," he laughed.

The darkspawn continued to probe the line, but avoided making another frontal attack. The fight on that part of the battlefield was over for the most part.

-Leliana and Alistair had fought their way up the Tower of Ishal with their group of soldiers and were near the top. The bard made good use of her pistol as she blew away any darkspawn infiltrators who dared to get close. Along with Alistair's swordfighting skills, they were able to defeat any enemies that came their way. They were climbing the staircase to the top floor and emerged into an open room. Not more than sixty feet away, the pile of firewood that would be lighted for the beacon sat in a chamber. The pair and their detachment of soldiers walked over to it, but were interrupted by a tremendous roar.

Leliana turned around and gulped, "Oh shit..."

A humongous ogre equipped with a broadsword faced them.

"I guess it's off to battle again..." Alistair sighed. He took out his sword while Leliana and the soldiers pointed their guns at the ogre.

There was a big flash as rifle fire littered the air and all-out chaos ensued. The ogre was injured by the bullets, but not terribly so. He wreaked havoc by tossing the soldiers like ragdolls and stalking Leliana and Alistair.

"Quick, distract him!" she shouted.

"You better have something good planned!" he yelled back as he got closer to the ogre.

With their enemy focused on Alistair, the female Grey Warden grabbed one of the big logs in the fire chamber and got a match out from her belt. She lit it on fire and snuck behind the ogre while Alistair had it occupied. Coming within inches of the ogre's legs, she jumped up and burned its upper leg. The flames lit on its body and spread up. The ogre turned around and roared at Leliana as she unloaded bullets into its head. The beast was stunned long enough for Alistair to climb up a little and sink his blade into its abdomen. He pulled it out and continued stabbing as Leliana unsheathed her own sword and put it home. The repeated strikes and the fire burning its body, the ogre finally succumbed as it fell down with a gigantic impact and died. The two Wardens were just able to get out of the way and sat on the ground catching their breath.

"You think it's time to light the beacon yet," the bard asked.

"I would say so," Alistair went to light the fire.

-Teyrn Loghain and the commander of his army, Ser Cauthrien, saw the lit beacon from the tower. "I am ready to lead the charge at your order, my lord," she stood at the ready.

"Order the-retreat," Loghain was solemn.

"Pardon, my lord?" Cauthrien thought she had heard wrong.

"I said to order the retreat," he repeated.

"With all due respect, sir... If we retreat, Cailan's army will be massacred," she stammered.

"Just do it," he turned around to walk away.

"I will not. If you won't lead the charge, I will," the subordinate took a stand.

Loghain turned back and sent his fist crashing into her face, "Never, every disobey an order from me, Cauthrien!" She was left woozy from the blow as he led his army into retreat.

Isildor and Morrigan could just make out Loghain's army withdrawing from the field.

"Oh, you bastard! I suspected as much..." he was livid.

"That man will pay for this. I will guarantee you that," the witch added with a look of savagery on her face.

The general radioed Leliana and Alistair, "Get down from that tower as soon as you can! Loghain betrayed us."

"What?! Why would he do that?" Alistair's confused reply came through.

"I don't know. He's probably just an asshole. Cailan's army is starting to get overwhelmed now. We'll hold the hill as long as we can, but you and Leliana have to get down here. I need to save as much of my army as possible," Isildor answered.

"We're on our way," the Orlesian's thick accent came through the radio.

The witch and the general saw the King's army slowly being slaughtered by the darkspawn forces. Isildor could see Duncan fighting furiously through his binoculars. The next thing he saw was Cailan getting crushed to death by an ogre, which Duncan killed in a last effort. Despite being angry at the man, he did not want to see the chief Grey Warden die. The teyrn's son ordered his snipers to pick off the darkspawn closing in on Duncan, even though it was at extreme range.

He turned to Morrigan, "Can you cast a signal into the air with your magic? It might be enough to let Duncan know that I want him to make a run here."

"I don't think he'll listen, but I'll do it," the witch obliged by creating a signal with her staff. It was a purple mist that could be seen from the battlefield down below.

Meanwhile, the snipers were picking off the darkspawn around Duncan successfully. Combined with the signal, the Grey Warden finally realized that Isildor wanted him to join the last-ditch defense around the tower. He felt he should stay and fight to the end, but survival instincts were starting to take over. Duncan began to run toward the far-off hill.

It was not long before the darkspawn horde had wiped out Cailan's army. They now turned their attention to Cousland's forces guarding the Tower of Ishal. The enemy mounted a full-scale assault to take the heights, but were bloodily repulsed. Three times they charged, and all three times they were driven back and sent fleeing down the hill by concentrated rifle fire from behind the stone wall. Isildor knew that it was only a matter of time before the weight of darkspawn numbers and his supply of ammunition would put the line in jeopardy, but he had to buy enough time for Leliana, Alistair, and their squad to climb down the tower. It had been nearly an hour since the darkspawn had beaten the King's army, and he didn't know how much longer his soldiers could hold out.

Morrigan could see the darkspawn massing for a fourth assault, "I think we should charge them as they come up the hill. We'll have the advantage of sweeping them down and taking them by surprise. That will put them in disorder long enough for those two slowpokes to get back." Isildor wavered, "I don't know about this, Morrigan... It's very risky, and we'll be away from our fortifications if the darkspawn regroup."

"Just trust me on this. I may not be the most compassionate person in the world, but I do know how to survive," she reassured him.

He nodded, "Here goes nothing... Men, fix bayonets!"

The soldiers did as they were told, and they were joined shortly after by a sorely fatigued Duncan, who had somehow managed to escape the devastation below.

"Good to see you again Duncan. You came just in time for the best part," Isildor remarked.

The senior Warden was too tired to reply as he sat down behind the line to regain his composure. The darkspawn were approaching the base of the hill while the soldiers lay in wait. Once the enemy had gone up about halfway to the summit, the soldiers let loose with a blistering volley that stunned the darkspawn line.

"Make ready!" the teyrn's son bellowed.

They stood up and made ready to climb over the stone wall. Isildor looked over at Morrigan, who had her staff ready.

She cast a massive spell down on the creatures attacking the hill before letting out a scream, "Charge the bastards!"

With that, the two lovers led the 8,000 men down the slope. They hit the darkspawn hard, and there was soon bitter hand-to-hand fighting. Morrigan used both her sword and her magic to kill any enemies she came across, while Isildor made use of his rifle's bayonet and the butt of the weapon. The darkspawn put up a valiant fight, but the momentum carrying Highever's army down the hill was just too much. The fourth wave of the horde was sent fleeing down the hill and into the valley where the main darkspawn army was. The witch and the general led the men back up the hill and behind the stone wall again. By this time, Duncan had regained his bearings and Leliana, Alistair, and their detachment of soldiers had finally returned.

"We won't be able to repulse a fifth attack. The casualties are starting to mount and ammunition is getting low. We have to withdraw now while the darkspawn are trying to collect themselves," Isildor told all of them as the small group was in a circle.

"Yes, better for us to rest and reorganize. We can figure out what to do next once we're out of immediate danger," Duncan agreed.

Leliana nodded, "Lothering will be a place to do that."

"Then can we wrap this up and get our asses out of here?!" Morrigan was getting impatient.

The others took this as a sign to get moving. Isildor passed the word to his officers to form the men for a withdrawal to Lothering. Within half an hour, the army was marching out of Ostagar and heading north to Lothering, just before the horde was ready to launch a final attack.

-Ser Cauthrien was all alone. Loghain had marched his entire army away while she was still recovering from his assault on her. She had made sure to retreat from Ostagar once she saw Cailan's army get slaughtered. Now she was a general with no army and feeling all sorts of emotions as to what her dear lord, the man she looked up to as a father figure, had done in betraying his country. She had seen Highever's army successfully extricate itself from the field, and she guessed they were headed for Lothering. Deciding that would be the best course of action for her, she began to head in that direction as well.


	5. Chapter 5

Isildor and his high command set up camp in the town, and wasted no time in recruiting soldiers and securing supplies. A lot of the townspeople eagerly joined up, enough to replace the moderate losses his army had suffered and even to boost the number of his soldiers to ten thousand strong. He intended to make a stand at Lothering to gain enough time for the townspeople to evacuate. Once that was done, the civilians would travel with his army and voluntarily provide much-needed labor.

The general sat down at a table in Dane's Refuge with his high command, consisting of Morrigan, Alistair, Leliana, and Duncan. Loghain's devastating betrayal had rocked all of them, even if it wasn't a total surprise. Now southern Ferelden belonged to the darkspawn and holding the rest of the country would prove to be difficult, if not impossible, with Loghain tearing the country's loyalties apart. They had to plan a strategy.

Isildor began the discussion with the obvious, "We must make use of the treaties to gain support from the Dalish elves and the Circle. There have also been reports of werewolves in the Brecilian Forest near the elven encampment. They could be a potential ally, as well as the templars. Arl Eamon will provide assistance, as Alistair has made clear. I have already had Leliana send word to her contacts in Val Royeaux to entreat Empress Celene for support. She tells me the Orlesians will come to our aid. If we can bring all these potential allies together, then we will march on Denerim and take Loghain down. A new king would have to be crowned, and then we could reorganize for an offensive against the Blight."

"Are you sure it's a good idea going to Celene for aid? Loghain could just portray us as traitors and build noble support for himself," Alistair voiced his concern.

"A valid point, but we need all the allies we can get. It's well worth the risk," Duncan defended Isildor's plan.

"Perhaps you have need of another friend?" the five leaders turned around to see Ser Cauthrien standing next to their table.

"Maybe Loghain's betrayal wasn't as absolute as we thought," Morrigan observed.

"Do you have any idea what your commander has done to us?!" Alistair was incensed.

"I tried to stop him, but he knocked me out of commission and then took the army himself and left. I want to rectify his traitorous behavior and help end the Blight," the female knight was determined.

"And how exactly, do you intend to do that?" Isildor asked her.

Cauthrien thought for a bit, "I can give you information about Loghain. His weaknesses, the best ways to infiltrate into Denerim..."

"That's all well and good, but we won't be ready to move on the capital for some time. My army needs many more soldiers before striking back can even be thought of. What can you bring to the table from a military standpoint?" the general pressed her.

"I can bring this!" she grabbed a spare vial of the darkspawn blood from Isildor's belt and drank it.

"What are you doing?!" the shocked general and the rest of the table looked on in surprise. "Making myself an asset to you!" she shot back as she staggered and collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.

Isildor and Alistair immediately picked her up and set her on the table. Everyone waited to see if she would live. At long last, Cauthrien began coughing violently. The teyrn's son got her some water and the coughing subsided after she drank it.

She slowly got to her feet and stared down Isildor, "Does being a Grey Warden help from a military standpoint?!"

"I would have accepted your help anyway. I was just trying to figure out where you would fit in among all of us," he shot back.

"Well, you should have told me..." the ornery knight muttered.

"If we're done griping, we were talking strategy," Morrigan interrupted.

Isildor and Cauthrien sat down with the four other Wardens.

"As I was saying, my army is going to make a stand here. They are already constructing earthworks and stone walls along with replenishing their ammunition supply. Once the civilians are safely away, we'll march to the Brecilian Forest to the east. If everything goes according to plan, then we'll have the support of both the Dalish and the werewolves..." the general went on. "Won't it be dangerous trying to play both sides? They might be at each other's throats," Alistair was concerned.

"It took you that long to figure it out? Your intelligence precedes you," Morrigan mocked him. "Regardless, that is a risk we'll have to take..." Isildor sighed.

The next two days were spent finishing the fortifications and beginning to evacuate the civilians. Morrigan and Isildor commanded the southern defenses, which was the most likely route of attack for the darkspawn. Alistair and Duncan were in charge of the troops on the eastern side, while Ser Cauthrien's contingent manned the northern approach. The western part of the town bordered Lake Calenhad, so that area was closed off to attack. Leliana led the scouts as they patrolled the area around Lothering for darkspawn. The civilians by this time were safely out of the town and being escorted east by a small rear-guard of around five hundred soldiers. They needed time to put distance between them and the horde, and a delaying action at the town would do just that.

Leliana's scouting party came back at a dead run. She ran up to Morrigan and Isildor, "There's an advance guard of darkspawn heading this way. About 15,000 strong. They're close..."

The commanding general nodded, "Now it comes. May the Maker be with us..."

The horde came about twenty minutes after Leliana first reported them. The Fereldens were ready for them, determined to make up for what happened at Ostagar.

Morrigan shouldered her rifle as she knelt down behind the earthworks the soldiers had built, "When can I fire? My trigger finger is getting itchy."

Isildor, right beside her, laughed, "Soon, very soon..."

The darkspawn let loose with several waves of arrows, not wanting a repeat of their failed efforts against Highever's army in the previous battle. The shots were ineffective against the combined defenses of armor, earthworks, and the narrow line the male and female soldiers were in. Assuming that their archery had been effective, the enemy sent a first wave of darkspawn against the fortifications.

Isildor nodded to let Morrigan know it was time to fire. She wasted no time in shooting a burst at the charging wave, followed by gunfire from the general and the 3,500 men in the line. A shower of bullets rained down on the darkspawn, staggering the line and then disintegrating it. They weren't even within fifty yards of the earthworks before the few that remained retreated back to their own lines.

Cauthrien radioed that her wing had also repulsed the horde, and soon after Duncan and Alistair reported the same for their sector. So far the battle had been a great success, with the darkspawn suffering heavy casualties and the Ferelden army only a few. The Arch Demon, flying overhead and observing the battle, communicated a different set of instructions to its brethren.

The darkspawn began using a different strategy, moving in small groups over a short distance and taking cover behind trees, bushes, and wherever else they could. Despite their reputation as savage and mindless beasts, they were showing intelligence and planning. As they moved closer to the defensive line surrounding Lothering, the darkspawn exchanged fire with their arrows and began to lob primitive forms of explosive charges at their enemy when they got within range. With Urthemiel observing the battle and roaring its orders in a silent language to the darkspawn, the tide of battle started to even a bit. More of Isildor's soldiers were starting to fall.

"We have to get them out of those advanced positions! Let me use my talents as the so-called Witch of the Wilds..." Morrigan looked at Isildor.

He agreed, "Distract them so I can lead a flanking attack..."

She shook her head as he moved amongst his men and organized them for a counterattack. The witch stepped on top of the ramparts and cast a temporary shielding spell around her before unleashing hellfire upon the darkspawn minions. Fireballs emanated from her staff and pounded the enemy positions, killing some and forcing the others to keep their heads down.

The teyrn's son led his men on a flanking maneuver during the distraction and initiated a bayonet charge. Six hundred of his soldiers, firing as they went, crashed into the advanced darkspawn line. After a brief but brutal hand-to-hand fight, the horde was again forced to retreat to a position considerably further back, although it was closer than the main line they had established. Morrigan and Isildor and his men returned to the safety of their defenses, flush with the temporary victory. More radio reports came in. Ser Cauthrien had used her tactical genius by sending out small bodies of soldiers to harass the darkspawn facing her line and was able to prevent a second attack from occuring. Alistair and Duncan had less welcoming news. They had repulsed a second attack, but some darkspawn had gained a foothold near their lines and were starting to inflict damage. The battle was still a stalemate, with neither side wanting to give in.

The darkspawn were starting to grow frustrated with their inability to break through the line. They had made gains in the second attack, but were not close to breaking through. Isildor knew that he and Cauthrien could hold their parts of the line, but Duncan and Alistair were not used to commanding significant numbers of soldiers. That could be plainly seen with their sector starting to crumble.

Morrigan, who already felt disdain for Alistair, expressed her distaste for him, "That bumbling idiot and his mentor are going to cost us this battle! We had to retreat from Ostagar, and I don't want to go running with my tail between my legs without a victory this time. What do we do about those two morons?!"

"To be honest, we can't spare any troops from our sector, and I doubt Cauthrien would be able to. And I don't want to call for a general attack on the darkspawn, at least not yet," Isildor's eyes lit up as he had an idea, "Why don't you go over to their area of the line and persuade them to actually grow a set and start making good command decisions?"

The witch raised an eyebrow, "Persuade? And what shall I do to persuade them?"

The general gave a wry smile, "Whatever is necessary. Just don't do anything too extreme."

Her face glowed with an evil grin, "Oh how fun! I get to use some of my more cunning methods..." Morrigan eagerly took off to carry out Isildor's request.

About a half hour passed before she returned. In that time, the horde had exchanged desultory fire with the Fereldens. The enemy was planning a major show for their third attack. The witch returned to her lover's side, with the faint sound of screams coming from the distance.

"Do I even want to know what you did to them?" Isildor rolled his eyes.

Morrigan snickered, "Probably not. Let's just say it involved some pain and leave it at that."

He shook his head, trying hard not to laugh as she knelt down beside him. Shortly after, the distinct sound of roars and heavy marching could be heard from the darkspawn lines. The teyrn's son and his witch companion peered over the earthworks and could see many ogres leading numerous darkspawn in all-out charge to take Lothering.

"Prepare to fire a volley on my order!" he changed tactics. It was only a few seconds before Isildor issued the order to fire as the enemy came within two hundred yards of their fortifications.

"Again!" he bellowed.

Morrigan and he fired along with the men every time. Volley after volley pounded the darkspawn wave as it got closer to the line. The casualties were terrible for the Arch Demon's forces, but the presence of the ogres allowed them to continue on.

Ser Cauthrien felt the panic rising in her as she saw the daunting darkspawn attack wave coming straight toward her. Some of her advanced groups just barely escaped, while others were not so fortunate. She knew she had to think of something fast as the gunfire from her line erupted.

She had a plan as she summoned her subordinate officers, "I want you split your forces and open a gap between them. Allow the bastards to come over the stone wall, then let loose with all the firepower you've got. We're going to enfilade them." The officers nodded and went to carry out their orders.

Despite Morrigan's strong persuasion to do a better job commanding their troops, Duncan and Alistair were losing more ground to the advancing darkspawn. Their line was at the breaking point as the enemy scaled the defenses and engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with the defending troops. Thinking quickly, Alistair grabbed a Ferelden flag that had been set aside on Isildor's orders so as not to make the soldiers more obvious targets. He ran into the thick of the battle, waving the flag back and forth. Some of the men were inspired by this, and charged headlong into the fray with a renewed sense of determination.

Morrigan began using her spells on a massive scale to coordinate fields of fire with the soldiers and bombard the darkspawn with her ice and fire attacks. The ogres were starting to go down more frequently as the enemy got to within seventy-five yards of the line. Isildor continued with the volley tactic and ordered sustained bursts of firing mixed in. It was a complex practice, but the well-trained men were able to do it. The darkspawn line was subjected to tremendous punishment as they got to within twenty-five yards of the earthworks. The witch looked over to him, wondering if it was time for a charge to complete the rout. The general responded by ordering the soldiers to charge. As the darkspawn closed in on the fortifications, they were met by the overwhelming tide of Fereldens streaming over the earthworks to meet them. Morrigan and Isildor were in the thick of it, shooting and stabbing any darkspawn they came across. After several minutes of vicious fighting, the horde was completely beaten. The surviving darkspawn were sent reeling back to the safety of their own lines, some even dropping their weapons as they ran. Isildor's troops pursued the darkspawn and crushed them once and for all in that sector.

Most of the beasts fought until the end, but one hurlock surrendered when he was cornered by Morrigan and the teyrn's son. He threw his sword and shield down and stared up at two of them looked at each other, bewildered by this highly unusual event. They decided to deal with it later as the hurlock went with them willingly, walking back and not even needing to be restrained. Soon enough, all of the soldiers were back behind their fortifications.

Cauthrien's plan worked to perfection as her men poured an enfilading fire into the darkspawn. The stone wall slowed their advance, which made them perfect targets. Once the darkspawn realized what was happening and that they were taking massive casualties, they started to withdraw. The new Grey Warden was tempted to charge them, but her troops were exhausted and their ammunition was running a little low. She settled for re-establishing the defensive line behind the stone wall. The enemy facing her withdrew in good order, keeping their units intact for the most part. When the hurlock commander in charge of the darkspawn position heard about the annihilation of his brethren at the southern end of Lothering, he decided to call off the offensive and wait for much-needed reinforcements from the main army that was headed toward the town.

Behind Alistair's heroics, the embattled soldiers rallied and counterattacked the darkspawn. After much bitter fighting, he, Duncan, and their soldiers at last drove the enemy back. He collapsed to the ground with the flag, exhausted but victorious.

With three assaults failing to capture Lothering and suffering horrific losses, the Arch Demon called for a halt to its darkspawn. They would wait until the 55,000 strong main body came up and joined with what was left of the advanced force. The battle was over after eight hours of fighting. Neither side could be sure of how many casualties they had suffered, but the darkspawn were far worse off. They had lost 11,000 of the 15,000 they had started with, most of whom were killed by the devastating rifle fire. The Ferelden army had suffered 1,500 casualties, the majority of which were wounded in close-quarters combat. It was a resounding victory, and Isildor was going to make sure the news of it would spread throughout the country to counter whatever propaganda garbage Loghain had planned.

Within hours after the battle had ended, the army was marching east towards the Brecilian Forest. The morale was very high after the decisive victory, and some of the soldiers were whistling or humming as they went. Cauthrien and Leliana were at the front of the army, walking with the soldiers and keeping an eye out for any possible danger. Duncan and Alistair were near the back of the force, making sure there were no stragglers. Isildor and Morrigan rode on horseback in the middle of the long column of men marching.

The couple supervised the men until a voice interrupted, "Neither of you would happen to have a cigar, would you?"

Isildor looked down at the hurlock prisoner of war who was being force-marched, "Did you just speak?!"

The darkspawn turned around and looked up at him as it opened its mouth, "I am one of the rare few darkspawn who can. There was one of my brethren. He was called the Architect, and selected me as an experiment..."

Morrigan was stunned to hear the hurlock speak, "And this experiment gave you the power of speech? How is that possible?"

The prisoner sighed, "He gave me Grey Warden blood to drink as part of a ritual. With time, it helped me to resist the Arch Demon's influence and form a will of my own. I tried to teach myself to speak. It was not easy... But I managed to slowly pronounce words and got better with each passing day. Eventually, I felt I deserved a name, an identity. From then on, I referred to myself as Viscian..."

The army commander was unsure of what to make of this, "It is unheard of for darkspawn to surrender. Why did you do so when Morrigan and I cornered you?"

"To be honest, the pillaging and slaughtering seemed pointless to me. There is no point in making war on a land if you do not intend to use it or rule over it. I was becoming disillusioned with what we were doing, which is why I gave up when our attack was repulsed," Viscian explained with a grim look on his face.

"And what exactly are your intentions?" the suspicious witch itnerrogated him. "I don't know... Maybe try to make a home of my own or try to convince more of my brethren to turn away from this cursed Blight. Nothing good can come of it. We will destroy everything, and we will be left with nothing. I do not want that..." the hurlock replied in a thoughtful tone.

"We'll have to take what you said into consideration. I have no idea what to make of this..." Isildor scratched his head.

"I didn't expect mercy from you. I thought I would be killed on the spot, which I can't say I would blame you for considering what we have done to your country," Viscian looked away. Morrigan took an item from her pack, "I was planning on giving this to someone, but it turns out he doesn't smoke. You take it." She held out a cigar for the hurlock.

Viscian took it, "Thank you... It's the one habit that keeps me sane, what with the call of Urthemiel fighting against my own mind."

The witch turned red in the face as her partner gave her a smile, "The Witch of the Wilds doing something generous? That is unusual, tis it not?"

She shook her head violently, "I am not a simple savage that Flemeth would have you believe I am, and don't mock the way I speak!" The general laughed as his lover's face glowed with an embarrassed blush.

They rode on, with their marching army and a smoking hurlock in tow.


End file.
